Of Emeralds and Sapphires
by Kraken's Daughter
Summary: The story is set a few years before the beggining of Gundam Seed. The vessel Mwu is currently a part of captures a Coordinator pilot during a battle and Mwu is assigned to watch her. MwuOC
1. Encounter

Mwu could feel the anger slowly making its way to his face, painting a scowl across it. He'd just returned from battle against some of ZAFT's vessels and their Mobile Suits. Removing his helmet, he replayed the battle in his head. _The ZAFT forces were easily outnumbered 5 to 1. Everything was going according to plan. Then, the battle began to turn. The damned GINNs' attacks got stronger, their blasts more precise, and before long the emptiness of space was littered with debris from destroyed Mobile Armours. Their mission seeming impossible with all the losses they had suffered, the commander ordered a retreat._

They had failed, Mwu thought angrily, and the only thing they had to show for their effort was the damaged GINN they had captured and its pilot. It had fallen into their hands completely by mistake. They had been trying to retrieve one of their own Mobile Armours and somehow the GINN had been caught instead. It glistened with a strange familiarity, its greyness taunting Mwu to remember exactly why its image was so vivid in his mind. Then, it clicked. _That was it, wasn't it_, the same GINN that had taken out so many of his comrades? And now it was theirs, along with its pilot.

His frown deepening, Mwu pointed his gun at the Mobile Suit's closed cockpit door.

"Step out with your hands in the air." he called out. Lazily, the door began to open and a pilot clad in a red space suit identifying him as an elite stepped out. The pilot's face was hidden behind the tinted glass of the helmet.

"Identify yourself!" Mwu ordered, not taking his gun off the Coordinator. Slowly, the GINN's pilot reached for the helmet and removed it. Cold green eyes met Mwu's blue ones and for a moment the two soldiers just stared at each other.

'_A girl?'_ Mwu couldn't help but be surprised at the discovery. ZAFT was famous for its low number of female personnel, and even fewer women actually worked on the battlefield. _'And this one's an elite too! This will be interesting.'_

Finally snapping out of his thoughts, he took in the Coordinator's physique. Her pale complexion contrasted sharply with her hair, which was of a black that seemed simply impossible to Mwu. A frown tugged at her pink lips as she observed her surroundings. With a quick jerk, she pulled her hair out of the loose bun previously holding it. Strands of black spilled over her shoulders as she looked down at Mwu defiantly, putting her hands once more in the air. The action puzzled the Mobile Armour pilot for a moment, but he put it out of his mind.

"I told you to identify yourself!" he snapped at her, glaring at the arrogance of the girl.

She remained impassive as she replied in a smooth, cool voice that sent a chill down Mwu's spine.

"Azumi Starford, of the Gosamer team."


	2. Azumi Starford

"_Azumi Starford, of the Gosamer team."_

Mwu just stared. '_The Gosamer team? I've never even heard of them.' _He focused on the girl again. "Get down from the GINN and come here." He had been given orders as to what to do with the pilot _– no, prisoner –_ before he had even entered the ship.

Azumi landed gracefully on her feet and walked over to the man. Mwu couldn't help but notice how young the girl was. She appeared to be no older than 17, yet there she was, a soldier, ready to kill or die at her superiors' orders.

"Hands behind your back." he ordered roughly and proceeded to tie the said-hands with a length of rope, purposely tightening the rope more than was necessary. His comrades and friends had been killed by this Coordinator and he was not about to miss this chance to cause her a little pain, no matter how petty it seemed. Still, the winces of agony that marred her face were a little exaggerated. He couldn't be hurting her _that_ much.

Jabbing the gun between her shoulder blades, he ordered Azumi to walk in front of him as they made their way to the interrogation his commander would be putting her through. Soon, they reached a long corridor littered with people. It seemed as though the entire crew had gathered there to see the Coordinator. One of the officers pulled Mwu by the sleeve.

"Lieutenant La Fllaga, what do they want her for?" he asked, spitting out the _her _as if it was laced with poison.

"I'm not sure, myself, although I'm taking her for an interrogation right now." Azumi heard the man –La Fllaga – reply, before her mind drifted off the conversation. She looked around, returning all the glares she received. If she hadn't been tied up and injured, she would have given them a lot more than murderous looks. She smirked at the thought. Unfortunately, she was indeed injured, something the Natural still hadn't noticed despite the large gash in the fabric of her space suit and a fight would definitely not be advantageous to her situation. Seeing as La Fllaga was still trying to rid himself of the curious crewmembers gathered around him, only keeping one eye on her, she focused on the conversation of a small group of people just to her right.

"Look at her…" "…so smug…" "Damn Coordinator…" "…should shoot all of those space freaks…" She only caught a few bits, but they were enough to give her a general idea of the conversation's flow. Leaning in close to the group of glaring Naturals, lips quirked in what she hoped was a deranged smile, Azumi growled mockingly. "What's the matter? Afraid of the big, bad space monster?"

The Naturals looked livid. One made to grab Azumi by the collar, but was stopped as a strong hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him back. Turning around, the GINN pilot realised the hand was attached to a seething, glaring La Fllaga. "Walk." was all he said, thrusting the gun at her back again. Azumi had no choice but to comply.

Soon, they reached a door, identical to all the others, and Mwu entered the code to open it. Inside the room were a couple of chairs, a table, and an officer holding what Azumi noted with annoyance was more rope. A few minutes later, she was sitting on one of the chairs, tied and still held at gunpoint.

When he was done checking the bondage and relieving the Coordinator of her weapons, Mwu stood up and instructed the officer to watch Azumi until his return, before exiting the room. Nervously pointing the gun at her, the officer looked quite willing to vanish under the Coordinator's death glare.

The thick, uncomfortable silence that followed was pierced by tiny squeaks mixing with the sound of the ship in motion, that Azumi could almost swear were produced by the poor officer assigned to watch her. He looked about ready to hug Mwu when the Lieutenant walked back into the room, having changed out of his space suit, and relieved the man of his task.

Seating himself comfortably across from her on one of the chairs, Mwu examined Azumi more thoroughly. He had to admit to himself that she was quite beautiful, with her sharp features, black-framed, emerald eyes, and inky, straight hair.

On her side, Azumi was growing restless. Despite what she was telling herself, the Coordinator was terrified, though she'd never let anyone know. To make matters worse, her right arm was throbbing with the pain of the wound caused by a small internal explosion in her GINN, during the battle. Though she'd avoided the blast, a piece of what had once been her navigational system had managed to pierce through the space suit. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but she was sure it wouldn't last long if they handled her roughly. _'Of course, that could be the least of my problems.'_ she mused darkly.

Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, Azumi looked at the blonde man sitting across from her. He seemed to be about 25-years-old, maybe less. His blue eyes were focused on her, Azumi noted. _'Ah well, it's his job to watch me.'_

"So, when's this interrogation going to start? We've been here for ages." she couldn't help but whine.

"Soon enough." was all Mwu replied, before reverting to the silence that would have been deemed as uncharacteristic by anyone who knew Mwu, but that Azumi simply classified as irritating.


	3. Interrogation

Mwu's mind had drifted off the Coordinator and he was in the midst of an intense internal debate on whether or not he should change his socks when her voice snapped him out of his reverie.

"So, when's this interrogation going to start? We've been here for ages."

"Soon enough." was the only reply that came to mind. Momentarily, he'd wanted to add something mean or innerving to the answer, but he had found himself unable to think of anything, so he left it at that. He was about to revert to his previous thoughts when the door slid open to reveal Commander Horace followed by the Second-in-command, a wispy woman in her thirties. Mwu stood up, saluting the two newcomers, and went to stand behind Azumi's chair.

Once seated, the Commander looked over the Coordinator, an expression of intense dislike washing over his face. It was a well-known fact that Commander Horace abhorred all Coordinators with a passion. _'I don't discriminate,'_ he would say, _'because I hate them all.'_

Having finished his examination, the Commander proceeded to ask for Azumi's name and position in the military, both of which were noted by the Second-in-command. Soon, her age was added to the information. She was 18.

The formalities over, Commander Horace got up and approached Azumi's chair, a menacing look twisting his face. Judging by Azumi's expression, Mwu concluded that she would be picking her ear absentmindedly, completely oblivious to the aforementioned-look, had her hands not been tied behind her back. Seeing as they were, however, she could only look bored.

"Now, tell me _Coordinator_, what exactly do you know of ZAFT's plans?" Azumi stared at the man in disbelief for a moment, before chuckling. _'Does he really think I'd answer that?'_

She was about to recollect herself and answer him, when a harsh blow struck the right side of her face. The man, Horace, had backhanded her. She glared at him as a trickle of blood seeped from her bottom lip.

"Answer me, girl!" Commander Horace commanded. Mwu could hardly believe his eyes. Had the Commander really hit the Coordinator? It was completely against regulations to hurt prisoners and Horace was certainly aware of that. The girl, however, wasn't showing any signs of pain or fear.

"I don't know any of ZAFT's plans. I don't occupy a high enough position to be told such important information more than a day in advance." she answered coolly.

"You must know something! Speak, damn it!" Patience was never one of Commander Horace's fortes.

Azumi replied with a smirk. "Maybe you should have captured a Commander." Her mocking tone earned her another slap.

Azumi winced internally. The first strike had definitely opened up her wound. She could feel the flow of blood and she was becoming slightly dizzy. If the jerk interrogating her kept up his assault, she wasn't certain how long she'd last. Nevertheless, she wouldn't give in, she told herself as she turned her glare back towards the Natural.

The Second-in-command shifted uncomfortably in her seat, before breaking the silence. "Maybe we should ask her about her orders before the battle, Commander. I doubt she has any valuable information regarding future operations." Commander Horace considered this for a second, before agreeing.

"What were your orders preceding the battle that just occurred?" he asked, leaning closer to Azumi's face.

"Simple. We were told to protect the Homeland. You got too close, so we retaliated."

Horace glared at the Coordinator for a moment, and then scoffed. "Homeland. Ha! That atrocity is no land!"

"But it is a home." Azumi countered. This logic seemed to anger Horace beyond all of the girl's previous remarks and he struck her a third time, putting as much force as possible into this last blow. Unlike before, Azumi remained slumped in her seat, not displaying any signs of consciousness. Mwu took a worried step towards her and paled when he finally noticed what he had previously missed in the dim light of the interrogation room. A pool of blood had gathered at Azumi's feet.

Misinterpreting Azumi's inactivity, Commander Horace made to strike the Coordinator again, but was stopped by Mwu.

"Commander, she's injured." said the MA pilot, pointing out the wound and blood. With a shrug, Horace told Mwu to untie the prisoner and take her to the infirmary ward, after which he left, along with the Second-in-command.

Once untied and with nothing to support her weight, Azumi fell into the man's shoulder. For a moment, she just let his warmth absorb into her own, cold body, before her eyes fluttered open, and she pushed herself off of him with a grunt. He caught her by the shoulders, looking straight into her eyes.

"Why didn't you mention your injury before?" he questioned, much gentler than the Commander had been.

"Because that would require me asking you for help." Again, that smirk, before her head drooped, lolling slightly to the side. Mwu tried to pull her back into consciousness by shaking her lightly. He wasn't certain whether he should be angry at the girl for her pride, or at himself for not noticing her injury earlier.

"Can you walk?" Mwu asked her when she finally came to. Having received a nod of approval, he lifted Azumi's uninjured arm over his shoulder and lead her to the infirmary ward.

Once there, her space suit was removed, leaving Azumi with only the worn-out t-shirt she always wore under the suit, along with her undergarments. A doctor unceremoniously treated and bandaged the injury, before retreating from the bed, as if the mere touch of her burned him.

Mwu looked at the girl. Seeing her flushed face, he put a hand over her forehead, confirming his initial belief that she was running a fever. He called back the doctor, but was told that the prisoner could catch on fire if she wanted to, but she was not being treated beyond the Commander's orders, which were only for her arm. After a few moments of internal warring, Mwu decided he just wasn't cruel enough to leave the poor girl with such a fever and treated it himself.

The MA pilot spent the next few hours pilling blankets on the shivering girl, while applying cold compresses to her forehead and trying to get her to drink the medicine he had coaxed out of the doctor. He didn't realise how tired he was until Azumi's fever dropped and he sat down beside her bed for a few moments. Soon, moments turned to minutes, and Mwu found himself the willing victim of sweet slumber.


	4. Conversation

Azumi woke up to find herself boiling under a considerable pile of blankets, a damp cloth on her forehead, a bandage wrapped tightly around her injured arm, hands still tied behind her back, and a sleeping La Fllaga snoring lightly on a chair next to her bed. Upon further examination of herself, she discovered that her space suit was gone and she was dressed in her t-shirt and a pair of white men's trousers she recognised as the ones worn by male EA soldiers. She strained her mind to remember how she had gotten in this position, and soon flashes of the previous day lifted the haze of sleep. She briefly saw her arm being treated, before the image was replaced with flashes of La Fllaga bending over her with cold compresses, medicine, and those damned blankets.

Kicking the offending layers of fabric off, Azumi sat up and took in the room around her. It was obviously an unused crewmember's room. It contained a sink, a bed she currently occupied, a small bedside table, and the chair containing La Fllaga's slumped form. Nothing else catching her interest, the Coordinator turned her attention towards the man. His chest rose and fell rhythmically. She felt the urge to cover him with one of her blankets, but the restrained state of her hands prevented her from doing so.

'_He looks so peaceful.'_ she couldn't help but think. _'Too bad I'll have to wake him up.'_

Normally, she would have let him sleep, but there were certain pressing matters she needed to attend to immediately. Realising she didn't even know the man's first name, she called him by his last.

"La Fllaga… La Fllaga... La Fllaga! Hey, La Fllaga, wake up! Wake up, damn it! God, I wish I could poke you! Damn these ropes to the Seven Circles of Hell!" After calling his name several more times, the MA pilot's eyes finally fluttered open and he cast Azumi a dazed look.

"Huh… Oh, you're awake." Mwu stated intelligently. Not receiving a reply from Azumi, he stood up, stretching and looked down at her. "How's your arm?"

"Fine, apart for the fact that it's been attached to my other arm for the better part of the last 24 hours." Azumi stated, attempting a shrug.

"Heh, sorry about that, but it can't be helped. So, I suppose that since we seem to be on a last-name basis now, I should call you Starford." The Coordinator's steady gaze was making Mwu rather uncomfortable.

"You can, though I prefer Azumi. I can call you something else if you want me to. Oh, and thanks for taking care of me last night." Azumi found herself unable to control the speed of her words as they rushed out of her mouth. For all she knew, this guy could have been the one that changed her out of her space suit, a concept she wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"Mwu. You can call me Mwu. And you're welcome. So… umm, is there something you need?" It seemed like the only logical thing to ask at this point.

Azumi nodded, the pressing matters previously mentioned returning to her mind. "I need to use the washroom. And some food would be nice." Her stomach gurgled its agreement.

After spending a rather awkward fifteen minutes trying to convince Mwu that she wasn't comfortable with him coming in the bathroom with her and he would just have to untie her and stand guard outside the door, Azumi had been brought a tray of breakfast. Mwu had, of course, been forced to feed the Coordinator, having refused to untie her a second time.

At some point, a doctor came in the room to check on Azumi's wound and change the bandages if necessary.

"It's healing pretty fast. Then again, having your genes altered does have quite a few advantages." he told Mwu, completely ignoring the patient in question. This naturally angered Azumi, and she spat a few angry words at the man, before being reprimanded by Mwu. The doctor cast a triumphant glance at Azumi, as he concluded, "You know, she'd be pretty cute if she wasn't a Coordinator."

A low growl escaped the girl's throat. That remark had been too much. "What are you, an x-ray? What do my looks have to do with my genes? It's because of people like you, who can't see that both Coordinators and Naturals are human, that there's a war!"

The doctor looked ready to argue, but Mwu pushed him gently out the door, before returning to his chair. He cast a sidelong glance at Azumi and found himself agreeing with her.

"Why did you join ZAFT?" The question surprised Azumi. _'Why would he care?'_

"I guess I wanted to defend the Homeland. Besides, we Coordinators deserve freedom too, and the way the Atlantic Federation was riding us, not letting us produce our own food, it didn't look like we'd get it peacefully anytime soon. The Atlantic Federation started it anyways; we retaliated. It's not like we enjoy going to war!" Anger flushed Azumi's face slightly as she spoke.

"I wasn't implying that you do. I was just wondering why _you_'d join. What you said before, about Coordinators and Naturals both being human, it sounds like you don't really like fighting. Am I right?"

"Yeah, but I do fight, because I have to. I joined after my mother was killed in a Blue Cosmos attack on the PLANTs. She was a civilian, but they murdered her anyway. My father had already died protecting the Homeland, so I was left alone, just because these people can't accept us as human beings. I don't want anyone else to go through that. Coordinators were created by Naturals, in a way, anyways. I don't think I should be ashamed of who I am, just because it's not 'natural'." Somehow, telling all this to Mwu was calming Azumi down. She felt a knot being twisted in her throat, but it eased at his words.

"I don't think you should be either, Azumi." Kindness was all she could read behind the phrase. The Coordinator was startled to find herself seeking this man's approval. Shaking herself inwardly, she ventured, "So, why did you join?"

Mwu looked lost in though for a moment. "Well, I wanted to protect my home too. I hate the idea of having to fight for peace, but I feel obliged to help any way I can."

"I think those are pretty good reasons, Mwu." The look in Azumi's eyes was sincere, so the MA pilot continued.

"Heh! I'd like to say those were my only reasons, but I guess my father had some influence in my decision too. He always expected so much of me and he was a real war legend. I guess some part of me wanted to please him by joining the EA, though even that didn't seem to satisfy him much. I was just never good enough." Sorrow clouded Mwu's vision for a moment, as he remembered the disappointed looks his father used to give him.

"I'd put a comforting hand on your shoulder, but my present circumstances are preventing that. Anyways, you're a great pilot and you're really the nicest person on this ship, so far. You shouldn't torment yourself over others' expectations of you. The only expectations that matter, really, are your own." A warm smile graced Azumi's face as she spoke.

Mwu was about to answer when a familiar alarm sounded, followed shortly by words he certainly wouldn't regret never hearing again.

"_Approaching enemy vessels. All hands to level one battle stations. I repeat, all hands to level one battle stations."_

_

* * *

_

**Author's note:** Wow, people are actually reading this thing and liking it, and it's not just like my mom or something. I'm quite surprised. Actually, my mom's not really reading it, because she doesn't know what Gundam SEED is, but that's beside the point. Anyways, sorry about the short chapters. I guess it's just how my inspiration comes: in brief bursts of brilliance. Haha, but seriously, I'll try to write them longer, but I can't promise anything since they're already pretty mapped-out in my mind. If things go according to plan, there should be 9 chapters in total. I won't write a lemon, because that would be pretty hypocritical of me (heh, you figure it out), but I will attempt a little lime later on. I know this chapter was a little boring, but they had to get to know eachother at some point. Anyways, the next one will be more interesting. Until next time, and hey, keep up the compliments, because it's not like I'm getting paid or anything. xD


	5. Battle

"_Approaching enemy vessels. All hands to level one battle stations. I repeat, all hands to level one battle stations."_

After telling Azumi to stay put, Mwu left the room in a hurry, swearing under his breath. He immediately headed for the pilots' changing rooms and pulled on his space suit, grabbing his helmet along the way. Soon, he was in his Mobile Armor, ready to face the battle.

"Mwu La Fllaga, launching." The words had been uttered by him so many times they seemed to have lost all meaning. The uneasy feeling he had come to associate with entering a battle was, as always, punctual and ready to turn his stomach as the machine was flung into the uncertainty of space.

Mwu quickly scanned the area around him, searching out the enemy. There were only a handful of GINNs and a few CGUEs. The carrying vessel was keeping its distance, meaning it didn't intend to enter the fray. Singling out a GINN, Mwu opened fire. Moments later, he was joined by three more MAs and the game began.

* * *

Azumi was busy pacing the small room she currently occupied. Her frustration was growing with each passing second. Thoughts succeeded each other with painful speed, as her mind tried to process them all. Even with her Coordinator abilities the task was tiring. She hated not knowing how the battle was going and which vessel was attacking. _'Could they be looking for me? Probably not. No one starts a battle over a prisoner, especially when the prisoner in question is on the ship they're attacking.'_

Sitting down on the bed, Azumi finally managed to consider the situation more calmly. The ship she was currently on was still damaged from yesterday's battle and they hadn't managed to restock their ammunitions. They were a Mobile Armor short of their previous force as well. If the ZAFT forces currently attacking were as strong as her own team had been yesterday, there was a good chance of the EA ship getting shot down. Azumi almost smiled at the bitter irony of her dying in battle against her own people on a vessel she had helped weaken.

'_And what about Mwu?'_ she wondered. Somehow, she didn't want the man to be killed, something she had attempted to do only yesterday. _'How fickle one's feelings become if allowed to grow.'_ she philosophized, after reflecting on her situation.

* * *

'_Pull the trigger… NOW!'_ Mwu commanded inwardly. His timing proved impeccable as he struck the GINN's most vulnerable area, rendering the machine useless. His teammates, however, were having no such luck. Mwu raced to Hoji, who seemed to be having the most trouble, and quickly pushed the CGUE away from the other MA. His younger teammate was safe for now, but the situation was becoming worse, fast. With only four MAs, one of which was already disabled, keeping the enemy machines away from the ship was impossible, and the vessel had ended up taking a few hits. Its defenses were noticeably weakening.

Mwu was certain Commander Horace would have to resort to drastic measures to pull the ship out of this fight soon. Firing another round of shots at an advancing GINN, Mwu retreated slightly to get a better look of the battlefield. Just then, a familiar voice sounded out of his communications system.

"Lieutenant, the Commander wants you to return to the ship immediately. There, you are to attach your Mobile Armor to the GINN we captured yesterday, with its pilot inside. You will lead the GINN back to the battle, where you will release it and we will activate an explosive attached to it from here. It should provide us with enough of a distraction to escape. Do you understand?" He did not.

* * *

Azumi was rudely pulled out of her thoughts as two crewmembers entered the room and proceeded to lead her out at gunpoint, ignoring each one of her questions. Soon, Azumi found herself once more in the landing area of the ship, in front of her GINN. This time, however, a large device was attached to the machine. She was very much unaware of the nature of the device, but she didn't like it.

The GINN itself was as damaged as it had been yesterday. Azumi doubted it would even be able to fly. The crewmembers, however, lead her straight toward the Mobile Suit, and she soon found herself roughly shoved into the cockpit, hands still tied behind her back. The door was closed and locked manually from the outside, leaving the Coordinator in the darkness of the lifeless machine.

* * *

"I'm afraid I don't understand. You intend to use the damaged GINN as a body for a _bomb_?" Mwu's mind was running a mile a minute as he tried to grasp the reasoning behind his Commander's order. "Why does the girl have to be in it?"

The voice that answered was that of Commander Horace. "Look Lieutenant, follow the orders! Getting rid of the prisoner is just an added bonus. Besides, she's already in the GINN and I'm not wasting time getting her out." The words were spoken in a harsh growl.

Mwu had already made up his mind. "I'm not going to launch her with that bomb. I'll just have to take down those Mobile Suits the old-fashion way." With that, Mwu cut off the communication and launched once more into battle. He knew it was a risky move, but he couldn't possibly bear to follow through with the Commander's cruel plan.

He had already taken two machines down, when he finally noticed the lone CGUE aiming directly at the ship. The spot it had targeted was very vulnerable at the moment and it would definitely be a critical hit. With one last readjustment of its gun, the machine fired. Mwu was already flying towards it, planning on blocking the blast, when he was intercepted by a GINN. He could only watch in horror as the beam of energy edged closer and closer to the ship. Time seemed to slow, as it always did such situations. The shot would have hit too, had it not been for Hoji, doing what Mwu had planned, and blocking the blast with his Mobile Armor, resulting in a mangled mass of metal.


	6. Aftermath

Mwu stared in disbelief at the debris that were once young Hoji. They had never been close friends, but there was always a natural respect between the two pilots. That was gone now. Instantaneously, the shock was replaced with blind rage and an animalistic determination to take down the enemy machines.

Mwu moved faster and with more precision than he thought possible for a Natural, even if he was a Newtype. With three well-placed blasts, he had disarmed the GINN blocking his way and was now headed towards the CGUE that had unintentionally killed Hoji. Everything had become a blur and Mwu seemed to be operating without conscious thoughts, because that would allow the grief to wash over him, and he couldn't lose focus now.

He finally allowed his mind free thought, when he heard the voice on the communication system. "Lieutenant La Fllaga, return to ship. The enemy vessel is retreating." Sluggishly, he obeyed, his previous stamina all but gone.

Getting out of his Mobile Armor, he noticed the GINN. Mwu briefly wondered if Azumi was still in it. He was spared further thought by the arrival of Commander Horace. Mwu willed his feet to move and met Horace halfway. It seemed he wouldn't even get the privilege to be yelled at in private. _'Not that you deserve it.'_ a grim little thought told Mwu.

"Lieutenant La Fllaga, what the hell were you thinking? Directly disobeying orders? I told you to take that stupid GINN out there! Was the life of that _Coordinator_ really worth that of Hoji? Not to mention the damages to the ship!" Mwu forced himself to at least look the man in the eye. He knew it was true, but he also knew he wouldn't change what he had done, had he the chance.

"Commander, you're right, but I couldn't possibly send that girl to her death like that. If she hadn't been in the GINN, I would have followed orders. With all due respect, sir, you would have disobeyed orders by intentionally killing a prisoner, had I done what you asked of me."

* * *

Azumi listened to the conversation outside her machine intently. _'So that bastard intended to kill me. I'll bet it has something to do with that device. Wait, but that means Mwu saved me, doesn't it? And it seems it was at the expense of a teammate's life, too. I hope they don't punish him because of me… I hope he doesn't hate me…'_

Outside, the yelling seemed to have stopped. Adrenaline accelerated Azumi's heartbeat as the cockpit door began to open. _'What will they do with me now?'_ She was pulled out by the same two crewmembers that had brought her here in the first place. She only got a brief glimpse of a worn-out, pale Mwu before she was lead out of the landing area and down a series of corridors with the same silence that had accompanied her to the GINN. With a nervous start, she realized she wasn't being taken back to her room, but somewhere entirely different.

Soon, the group reached what appeared to be the prisoners' ward. A row of dark cells constituted the two walls of a large corridor. They were all obviously empty. Once the rope binding the Coordinator's hands was removed, she was pushed into a cell and left alone to her musings.

* * *

Mwu felt the energy drain out of him. Horace had left to order the ship's new course, promising Mwu a lively report of his disobedience once they reached an EA base. Azumi would be taken to the prisoners' ward where, he hoped, she would be safe from the anger of the grieving crew over the loss of Hoji. It wasn't her fault, but they would need someone to blame. He was ready to take that blame; it did belong to him, after all.

He watched the girl cast him a furtive glance as she was lead towards her new cell. There was something in her eyes. Gratitude? Concern? He couldn't tell; she was gone too fast.

With nothing left to worry him, the last of the adrenaline Mwu had been running on since the battle was exhausted, allowing the MA pilot to collapse and be lead away to his room in order to rest. It finally dawned on him just how far he had pushed himself, as he lay down, trying to find the sleep that refused to come.

* * *

**Author's note:** Heh, another short chapter. Anyways, the next one should be longer and lighter. I hope you enjoyed reading the last two chapters more than I did writing them. I wanted to thank everyone for the great reviews. It's good to see people liking your stuff. Until next time, which will probably be very soon as I have absolutely nothing better to do than write.


	7. Sleepless

Mwu awoke with a start. He'd had the dream again; the one with the winged doughnuts. They had been in the midst of flying directly into his mouth, when Azumi had shown up and proceeded to eat the doughnuts right in front of him, while cackling madly. Just once, the MA pilot wished he could have a normal fever-induced nightmare, maybe something along the lines of him running aimlessly after someone. He sincerely hoped it was just an effect of the medicine.

It was official. Mwu's life sucked. He was in a heap of trouble with his superiors for disobeying orders, his actions had indirectly caused the death of a team-mate, and he had been bed-ridden with a fever for the past three days. The questions that had been haunting him earlier now flooded Mwu's mind once more.

'_Was Azumi's life really worth more than Hoji's? Certainly, his death was, if not easier, then at least more honourable than hers would have been. Was there even a way to prevent what happened? But it was still my fault, wasn't it? Argh!' _Mwu was clearly not going to get any more sleep. Feeling his own forehead, he decided he was fit enough for a walk around the ship to clear his mind. He had no destination in mind as he wandered down a deserted corridor, only paying enough attention to his road to avoid a collision with a wall.

Soon, however, it became clear where his body was taking him, as he stood in the dark prison ward. It made sense, after all, that he would want to see Azumi. Not only had he not seen the girl since she had been taken to her cell, she had occupied most of his conscious thoughts and a great deal of his unconscious ones as well. Mwu treaded silently through the prison ward, looking for Azumi's cell.

'_Damn. She's asleep. I forgot about that.'_ Mwu cursed silently, seeing the breathing lump on the bed. _'Maybe I should wake her up.'_ He made to gently lean his head against the steel bars of the cell, but a lack of judgement caused him to, instead, bang his skull rather loudly and painfully against the aforementioned bars, a flow of colourful words escaping his lips.

The lump stirred instantly and Mwu found himself staring once again into those entrancing green eyes.

"Mwu!" Azumi immediately checked her excitement, replacing it with her usual dry sarcasm. "I see you're well. I thought for sure they'd have grilled you alive for disobeying orders."

"Heh, no such luck, though 'well' might be a little exaggerated. I spent the last few days in bed. Can I come in?"

"Don't ask me. You're the one with the access code." Azumi turned a light on and motioned for him to sit next to her as the MA pilot punched the code into the locking system. She smirked as he fully entered the pool of light. "May I inquire as to why you chose to visit in the middle of the night, dressed like _that_." She gestured with an air of majesty at Mwu's t-shirt-and-boxers ensemble… and he blushed. The great Lieutenant Mwu La Fllaga, ace pilot of the Earth Alliance forces, blushed like a school girl. He had completely forgotten that he was still in his sleeping clothes.

"I… umm… well, I was sleeping and…" Azumi cut off the unintelligible response with a dismissive wave of her hand. Mwu glared at her. "You are so arrogant." Her response was an impish grin. "So, how's the cell working for you?"

The Coordinator shrugged. "It's better than the ropes."

"I don't know. I think I'd prefer being tied up to being in a cage."

"Well, try it for a day. I assure you, by the end, you'll be begging for the relative freedom of the cell." Azumi stretched her arms to accentuate her point, drawing a chuckle from Mwu. "By the way, what was your Commander planning on doing with me anyways? I could only gather that it would have meant my death."

Mwu briefly recounted everything that had happened, an angry huff escaping Azumi at the mentions of the Commander's plans for her. At the end of the story, Mwu sighed. "I feel responsible for his death, Azumi. Was it my fault? I can't even bring myself to talk with the other crewmembers about it. I feel like they blame me, and they're probably right."

Azumi looked at Mwu sternly, before answering in a cold tone that somehow managed to hold sympathy. "It's not your fault. This is war, and war has its casualties and its heroes. You can't always save everyone. If you must blame someone, it should be the political forces behind the war, not yourself. In any case, throwing the guilt around won't help you. I've lost friends and comrades to this thing too."

"I know, but it's not really easy to transfer the guilt to politics alone. I should have done something."

"There was nothing you could do. Mwu, if you need to transfer the guilt to something more tangible than politics, blame me. I'm the enemy, after all." The warm empathy in the words chilled Mwu to the bones.

"Blame you? This wasn't your fault. And besides, I don't want to think of you as the enemy. You…" Mwu's words flew right out of his mind, as he stared at Azumi, who seemed to be twitching her left eye, apparently trying to force a tear out. "Are you… umm… what _are_ you doing?"

"There's an eyelash in my eye and I can't get it out without a mirror." was the casual response. Another chuckle escaped Mwu.

"Here, let me help you." he said, taking Azumi's chin between his thumb and index finger and tilting her head up, while using his other hand to examine her eye.

"Stop! I don't want your fingers on my eyeball!" she squealed, struggling half-heartedly, more for the sake of putting up a fight than to actually get away from Mwu's hands. He grinned and held her harder, and eventually she settled down with a dramatic pout and Mwu brushed a stray lash off her face.

"See, that wasn't so bad. And I didn't even have to touch your precious eyeball." he teased, not relinquishing his hold on her chin.

Azumi was staring at the man. Thus far, she hadn't been so close to him while in a conscious state and she was beginning to find the lack of distance a little innerving. His sapphire eyes were now focused on her emerald ones. He was easily one of the most appealing men she had ever met. With her trade-mark smirk in place, Azumi did the only thing that seemed logic at this time and closed the space that separated them.

It was a tentative kiss, slightly inexperienced, and it sent Mwu's senses flying. After the initial shock had worn off, he returned the kiss, keeping his right hand on Azumi's chin and wrapping the other around her waist, pulling her closer. It was bliss. Unfortunately for Mwu, it had to be interrupted by his ever-annoying logic. _'She's the enemy, despite everything else!'_ it screamed at him. _'This is a huge mistake!'_

It took him several more seconds of internal battling before Mwu had regained enough control of his body to gently push Azumi away. The part of him that wanted this was clearly not entirely subdued.

"Azumi… I… I can't…" Unable to find better words, Mwu's mind seemed to shut down, putting his body on autopilot. He couldn't remember closing the cell door or getting out of the prisoners' ward, yet he knew he had done it. He didn't stop walking until he had put two corridors between himself and the Coordinator.

Azumi watched Mwu's retreat with a mixture of embarrassment, hurt, and anger simmering inside of her. She couldn't make sense of her actions, or his, for that matter. He had kissed her back, yet he had drawn away just moments later. And what had driven her to kiss him in the first place? She let herself fall down into her uncomfortable bed.

"Azumi, you idiot…"

Mwu's mind finally seemed to kick back into gear. He was leaning against a wall, panting more than the short walk from the prisoners' ward should have caused him to. Or had he run? He sincerely hoped not.

Taking a deep breath, the MA pilot reflected over his situation. He couldn't understand why he had reacted like that. Certainly, he had been kissed before, but it had never caused such turmoil within him. Then again, he had never been kissed by an enemy prisoner. And now, he'd probably jilted her with his dumb response and the fact that he'd run away. He would definitely have to talk with the Coordinator… later.

With a sigh, Mwu pushed all thoughts of the night's event to the back of his mind, forgetting about them… for about three seconds. It was going to be a very long night…

* * *

**Author's note:** Well, here's the new chapter and it's longer. I'm happy with how it turned out. I hope you guys liked it too. Things are finally moving between Mwu and Azumi. I'd like to know you guys' take on this, so post your opinions. Until next time, eat your veggies and stay in school kids.

astrocosmos: Ah well, he didn't really go SEED. I'm not sure if Naturals can go SEED, although it did remind me a lot of it when I was writing it. Whatever, he got really angry, or something. xD


	8. Tick Tack

_Tick tack. Tick tack. Tick… BANG!_

Mwu's mind replayed the irritating sounds leading to his broken alarm clock. Why he had gotten one of those vintage non-electronic clocks was far beyond him at this point. All it did was remind him of the time that had passed between his last encounter with Azumi and now.

It had been a week. An entire week since he had talked to her… and she had kissed him. He had made sure someone brought her meals and often asked whoever saw her how she was doing, but he couldn't bring himself to face her. Mwu had never felt so confused in his life and even though his fever was long-gone, he was still unable to sleep. She plagued every last one of his thoughts.

It was clear that he wouldn't have peace until he talked with Azumi and he had to talk with her tonight, or he would go absolutely mad. At least he knew that the Coordinator was tormented by this as well; he had been told that she hardly ate and seemed constantly distracted or lost in thought.

As Mwu set down the corridor to the prisoners' ward, he replayed the speech he had prepared in his mind. He was lucky not to have met anyone on his journey, or he would probably have ended up walking into them. Taking a deep breath, he turned into the corridor leading to Azumi's cell. He felt like an actor about to face a large audience, only this was much more personal.

He found the girl lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, the covers strewn across the floor. She didn't even seem to notice his presence, until he began entering the code to open the door.

"Mwu?" This time, it held no excitement, just a detached curiosity. She had too much pride to look anywhere but into the man's eyes and so their gazes locked, as if in battle, challenging one another to turn away first. Finally, Mwu did.

"Look Azumi, we both know what we have to talk about." Mwu stated as calmly as ever. All memory of his prepared speech seemed to evaporate, no matter how hard he tried to recall it. Luckily for him, Azumi spoke first.

"I'm sorry, Mwu. I shouldn't have. It was stupid." From the emotion in her voice, or lack thereof, he knew Azumi was holding in her real thoughts on the subject.

"But why? Did you mean it at all?" Her calm demeanour was beginning to irritate him. It was as if the confusion and restlessness that kiss had caused him weren't even able to touch her.

"I don't know."

'_Whoever said that a person's eyes are a gateway to their soul was gravely mistaken.'_ Mwu thought bitterly. All Azumi's impassive eyes reflected was the dull light from the lamp.

"Yes, you do. Tell me why! I know you had a reason behind it. What was it, Azumi? Were you hoping I'd help you escape? Or maybe you were just bored? What is it?" Mwu refused to believe that the kiss had meant anything to Azumi. He wasn't sure what he would do if it had. The repetitive throbbing headache only increased his irritation, which was now bordering on anger.

"How could you think that I would sink so low, you jerk?" The betrayal that had stabbed Azumi's heart at Mwu's words was cracking through her protective shell of apathy. They were both standing up now, facing each other.

"That's just it; I don't think you would sink so low, but I can't understand why you kissed me and you're too proud or hard-headed, or whatever to tell me!" Mwu's vocabulary was beginning to fail him, along with his short-lived anger.

Azumi couldn't stand his burning eyes anymore, so she averted her gaze. She had to tell him, she knew. "I… I've just never felt this way… about anyone before." With about 16 years of experience with words, it was surprising just how hard it was for Azumi to say that last phrase. "I don't know if I love you, but it's as close to the feeling as I've ever gotten. I know it's completely wrong, what with us being enemies and all, but I can't help the way I feel, Mwu! I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble."

Mwu's stunned silence brightened her blush by a few extra shades. He hadn't expected her to say it and now that she had, he wasn't certain how to reply. He had thought about Azumi's feelings for him multiple times, but he hadn't spent a moment to reflect on his own feelings for the girl. Well, he _was_ known for taking risks…

He stepped closer to the waiting woman. "Azumi, don't be sorry. I don't regret what happened and neither should you." The words came out in a sort of hoarse whisper, as if his voice hadn't been used in ages. He cupped her chin in his right hand and tilted her head up, so that she was looking at him. Running his thumb across her bottom lip, he knew that his mind was made up. "Just tell me that you want this, Azumi."

She let the words hang between them for a moment, before replying. "I do. I want to be with you, Mwu."

Unable to stand it any longer, Mwu captured the Coordinator's lips in a deep kiss, his arms snaking their way around her waist, bringing her closer to his body. Soon, Azumi's arms were wound around his neck, her fingers running through his golden locks.

It was finally beginning to make sense, to fall together into place. They spent that night in each other's arms, as they would spend many subsequent nights, whispering empty promises in the dark.

* * *

**Author's note: **Ok, so I was informed that Naturals can go SEED, especially if they have Newtype tendencies, and considering Mwu is a Newtype, I guess he did go SEED. Ok, big love scene here (well, not that big, but you get my point). I hope it wasn't too lame. Romance isn't really one of my fortes. xD There's only one chapter left, but I probably won't finish it until next week. Until then, I have nothing stupid left to say, so bye.


	9. Memories

"_We'll meet again some day, on the battlefield or off it. I'm sure of it."_ The last words she had spoken to him resounded in Mwu's head. Had it really been three years? Yes. He still remembered everything that had happened that day.

"Mwu, are you alright?" The woman's voice, so much warmer than the previous one had been, pulled him out of his reverie.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." With a nod and a smile, Murrue walked back to her own work. They had been in Orb for a day now and the ship was still badly damaged from the battle at the Alaska headquarters. Everyone was exhausted and a little on edge since the Archangel had been declared a runaway ship. Maybe that was the reason why his mind had wandered to Azumi and the last time he'd seen her.

_They had eventually made it to an Earth Alliance base and ZAFT had been informed that one of their soldiers was being held prisoner there. The two sides had quickly worked out a deal and Azumi had been traded for an EA soldier ZAFT had captured. Mwu hadn't seen her since._

Thinking about her didn't leave a bitter taste in his mouth anymore. No, he didn't regret the girl. He missed her company, but his heart belonged to Murrue now and he was happy. He wasn't certain if he had ever even loved Azumi. It was so much easier with Murrue. He knew from the way her touch made him feel, the way their gazes sought each other out in a crowded room. He had never been sure with Azumi. He knew it had been more than lust, but had it been love?

At first, Mwu had mourned her absence. He had felt empty and alone. He had spent every moment thinking of her. Eventually, however, the pain had subsided. The details of her face had become slightly less clear, as if a dream. The exact shade of her hair, which had so fascinated him at one time, began to escape him. Her eyes and her voice were forever burned into his memory, but everything else had become faint. The effort it took him to recall Azumi's image frustrated Mwu. She had given him a lock of her hair before leaving as a token of what they had shared and he had promised to keep it forever, but eventually he had lost it. He thought of her less and less, until her memory had drifted to the very back of his mind, resurfacing just once in a very long while. Despite that, Mwu hoped Azumi remembered him better.

"_We'll meet again some day, on the battlefield or off it. I'm sure of it."_ Her words rung ominously through his mind once more. He shuddered at the thought that they might have proven true and that he had killed her in battle, not knowing it was Azumi. Mwu shook his head at himself. _'Fate couldn't be that cruel and ironic, could it?'_

Thinking about it now, Mwu knew it would never have worked between Azumi and himself. Neither one would have been willing to give up their morals, beliefs, and values for love. They had been lovers, it was true, but essentially, they were both soldiers.

Still, Mwu couldn't help but wonder how things would have turned out had they not been separated by war, had their love not been made forbidden by their nations' enmity. Things would have been different, he knew that. They could have been together, happy. How he hated this war…

* * *

**Author's note:** Sorry for the long delay. Heh, I was kinda lazy. Well, I was pretty busy too. I mean, it's not like I don't have a life or anything. shifty eyes Anyways, this is it. The End. Azumi and Mwu don't end up together. Was it a letdown? I don't know, but that's the way it is. It's kinda like a modern Romeo and Juliet, where they part ways rather than commit suicide. Ok, so it's not really like Romeo and Juliet, but you catch my drift. I also realise it's sinfully short, but it's all drabble and memories, so there'snot much to write. Another thing I'd like to address is the lack of the promised lime. Well, knowing my writing style, I decidedit would be disastrous, so I stayed away from it. So, did Azumi and Mwu ever do more than whisper empty promises in the dark? I don't know, you decide. I'd like to thank everyone who read and/or reviewed this. You guys are great and I got a much better responce than I thought possible. Tell me what you thought about the end and stuff. Well, this is about it. Bye.


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